[James A Ferrari]

Picture this,
Full tank of gas, sitting in a traffic jam, moving only 35 miles in 4 hours with 300 more miles to go, windows open, running the fan, drinking gatoraid, No bathrooms or rest areas till you reach the horizon.

Hurricanes are difficult to outrun when you live in Florida especially when you leave with the masses. So, is this the best vehicle to own? What would be the downside of using the Prius in the turtle mode? Is there anything special you would need to assure your survival? Would the Prisus be the Ultimate Choice or would it be a mistake? I do not own a Prius, but I am placing an order in a few weeks. Thank you for your responses in advance.

 

[JDavies]

Would the Prisus (sic) be the Ultimate Choice or would it be a mistake?
*****************************************************
If hit by 125 mph winds and water I doubt if the Prius would fare any better than any other medium size car. But..when sitting in traffic..you're burning little (if any) gas and not risking an engine overheat. ~JD~

 

[JeffHart]

What would be the downside of using the Prius in the turtle mode? Is there anything special you would need to assure your survival? Would the Prisus be the Ultimate Choice or would it be a mistake? I do not own a Prius, but I am placing an order in a few weeks. Thank you for your responses in advance.

One of the more knowledgeable folks here may correct me, however, if you are buying a current 2nd gen Prius, there should not be a turtle problem. Living here in DC I spent unfortunate time sitting in stopped traffic. ICE kicks in when needed, if you have the windows down instead of running the A/C you'll see very little gas consumption.

Prius would definitely not be a mistake - for fuel efficient cars it's got very good storage capacity due to the hatch back and good leg room all around. The only caveat is to actually sit in one to make sure the seats are comfortable for you. For me they are very comfortable, but due to lack of adjustability for some they are not. A concern when you are sitting in traffic for hour upon hour. Otherwise, it's a perfect choice.

Cheers,
Jeff

 

[DanMan32]

If you have NAV, you can set the destination to something way up north, set the parameters to not use toll roads or highways, and practically avoid the jams. I believe Melgish did just that last year, and flew by traffic considering the then current highway traffic speed.

 

[hyperion]

I agree on the nav pak for these situations. They can steer you around traffic on roads not even shown on most road maps. However the car itself would not make that much of a differance if you are starting out with a full tank. A Prius at 50 MPG with a twelve gallon tank will get you just as far as a Four Runner with a 38 gallon tank.
A Garmin or similiar GPS would be as good insurance as a mobile phone when something like this can and it seems nowadays often happens.

 

[Hep]

I agree on the nav pak for these situations. They can steer you around traffic on roads not even shown on most road maps. However the car itself would not make that much of a differance if you are starting out with a full tank. A Prius at 50 MPG with a twelve gallon tank will get you just as far as a Four Runner with a 38 gallon tank.
A Garmin or similiar GPS would be as good insurance as a mobile phone when something like this can and it seems nowadays often happens.

The Prius would do much better in stop and creep traffic since the ICE shuts off.

 

[James A Ferrari]

Thank you for your responses

Thank you for confirming my thoughts. I know the Prius needs to be warmed up to be efficent and the batteries like to be fully charged. I also realize that the computer decides when to run the engine and when to shut down and travel silently. My only concern was if (after 4 hours of stealth) the gas engine would be starting and stopping everytime the Prius moves a couple of parking spaces forward, killing the battery, stressing the electronics and confusing the stored drivers information. The other thought that crossed my mind was perhaps the Pirus is the perfect car for a situation like this. I do not want to test, nor do I want to stress the Prius, but I will always be one of the first to evacuate when a Hurricane enters into the Gulf. I have 4 other cars, but there have been times when I have wondered if the best mode of transportation would have been a Moped or a Bicycle. Again thank you for your responses. The best time to plan on a Hurricane is 6 months ahead. Perhaps I just need a second home (Move up North and escape the heat of the summer and move back to Florida during the Winter after Hurricane season has ended) Life is an adventure. Enjoy life.
Ferrari

 

[JDavies]

However the car itself would not make that much of a differance if you are starting out with a full tank. A Prius at 50 MPG with a twelve gallon tank will get you just as far as a Four Runner with a 38 gallon tank.
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According to Toyota's official web site, the 4 Runner has a 23 gallon tank.

 

[hyperion]

Maybe I should have started a "firstorm" by mentioning the Cadillac Escalade. Most all car manufacturers attempt to give you at least a five hundred mile range. Of course it would cost you more to get out of Dodge but then again you just might have to cross a couple of low spots on the highway with two feet of water over them.

 

[Cocoatreat]

hmmm seeing as i live in miami & just survived katrina & wilma...i fared well. i came into the situation with a full tank of gas....i couldnt believe how many did not have their cars full......i was lucky....my car was ok... but next door, a tree fell on my neighbor's cars.. remember-- never back into ur driveway when a hurricane is coming... that was a two windshield disaster! but what i will tell u.....is that there were virtually no gas stations open after the storm...... the few that were open had lines as long as 4 hours....was i worried??? on no.....my tank was nearly full!! wilma came at 0530a on october 24.... my company did give their employees 10 free gallons later to help (very long wait)... on the last day i decided to get a little since there was no line.......i just needed less than 2 gallons!! i still havent filled up since then.....what did i miss?? long, long lines... gasoline rage!( yeah people go crazy without power!) oh yeah....i forgot 2 say-there was no electricity ( i was without for almost 3days).. 98% of miami, ft lauderdale, and west palm beach were affected by wilma! at this time.....about 1/2million are still without power .....all this gasoline... but no power to get the pumps to work.... but the valuable lesson was... i made out ok in the car department........so yes .those big suv's & other gas guzzlers ....saw me in a different light.......i smiled on! :lol:

 

[hyperion]

I've got a lot of friends living in hurricane alley in Florida and after the past few years most all of them now own generators. Most all have at least one and a lot have two 55 gallon tanks they stock with gas at the first warnings. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to get prepared when your given at least five days. (please no danger feedback on the storing of gas. It can be done just as safely as parking your car with a full tank.)
After the season is over, all that is not used during an emergency is used in their cars. They tell me one 55 gal tank will keep their freezers, lights and TV's going for two weeks. Only thing they missed for a week this past month was their computers but the "cell's" all worked. Also the AC for comfortable night sleeping.
This started with just a few but when the convienance was demostrated most got generators for xmas presents at Home Depot last year and the year before

 

[JDavies]

Maybe I should have started a "firstorm" by mentioning the Cadillac Escalade. Most all car manufacturers attempt to give you at least a five hundred mile range.
*************************************************************The Escalade has a 26 gal. tank.

 

[Cocoatreat]

yeah.....there are a lot here with generators......but it seems that they didnt prepare by getting enough gasoline to power those generators.... 2-3 days b4 wilma was to hit......the gas lines were crowded.......its hard to store lots of gas at home......i'm told its against the law.....but i do know that it can be dangerous.......:& of course.....there is a shelf life to gasoline also......in my neighborhood...i heard a few generators that nite. however 2 days later they were out of gas.......... the better generators will run 1/2power for about 10 hours.......& then i'm told u shouldnt run it 24hours per day......but some do.......if you are in a good neighborhood......i have seen as many as 4 homes living off one generator...oh yeah...u can tell when the gasoline is bad with a generator.....its just like a car....its starts to cough & act up......... oh yeah there was (& still are some places) a lot of rage going on.......one of my best friends has no power........generators are not allowed at apts or condos....!!! u cant make every one be prepared......i have lived in miami for over 10 1/2 yrs.......:& this has been the worst of all yrs..... oh yeah... i think its like this--they tell us every year.... get prepared.....& then nothing comes up from it.. (thats my take on y people are not more prepared) i think this yr we have had over 25 hurricanes/tropical storms..... its called a cycle.....~ 8)

 

[hyperion]

Anyone with common sense knows not only how to use a generator but when to use it to extend the endurance. (couple hrs a day for refridg, several hours at night for tv and other power ect.) Everybody with a home stores gas in some quantities for lawn equip ect, generators can be enclosed in louvered boxes to cut down on major noise and any business like a gas station or restuarant that does not have one should fail due to bad management.'It is possible to critique just about anything, but people who plan ahead?
These things are getting to be the norm everywhere that a potential power interruption can occur. They are just too darn cheap not to have. We lose our power several times a year in New England do to wind storms and falling trees along with the occasional hurricane. Winter is the worst time with the ice and heavy snow storms and the possible loss of power for several days. Most of my neighbors have small generators because of this and ever since hurricane Bob about nine years ago every gas station and most restuarants have them. However a generator will not work without gas so you do have to use your head. Gas will not get "stale" as long as it is used continually. My generator gas gets used in my truck and is replaced continually several times each season.
"Premium homes" here now come with built in generators which battery power up automatically with any total power loss detected. I'm sure this must be the norm in places like Florida.

 

[hyperion]

Maybe I should have started a "firstorm" by mentioning the Cadillac Escalade. Most all car manufacturers attempt to give you at least a five hundred mile range.
*************************************************************The Escalade has a 26 gal. tank.

Lets see, thats 520 miles if you are not pulling your horse trailer or boat.

 

[mrv]

Everybody with a home stores gas in some quantities for lawn equip ect,

Not *everybody* with a home stores gasoline for lawn equipment or such purpose. Some people don't have a lawn. Some people hire others to do the lawn for them. Some people use electric or battery powered lawn equipment, or use a manual mower. Or own or rent out sheep/goats/cattle...

(Myself, I have an electric lawnmower, and am looking into a reel mower to get to places the extension cord cannot reach (and to get a little more exercise) - much quieter, and lower emissions than a gasoline system. The only gasoline on my property is inside of my Prius' fuel tanks. I once knew someone who fenced in his property, and kept a few sheep and goats as pets, so he never had to mow... My cousins in CO had to do the opposite - fence in their property to keep the roaming cattle out of their landscaping.)

 

[hyperion]

Com On MRV. I mentioned common sense. For everyone you describe there are 10,000 who still do it "the good old american way. " Ask any Sears salesman how many electric mowers he sells in relation to gas. You are speaking of a very small group of people.
This discussion has gotten to the subject of thinking ahead with an incident prone community.
For three days after Hurricane Bob you couldn't get a hot dog or a gallon of gas in Hyannis. Today after the same type of occurance you could still make your reservation at any restuarant and buy gas normally at every station in town. Folks have discovered how inexpensive they are and how easy it is to operate a small generator.
The friends I mentioned in Florida are not exceptional or smarter than any of their neighbors but even without electric power during the heat of seven days none of them were inconvienced except for the loss of their computers. They were without phones or electricity for a very long period but this has happened before and they are now fully prepared for it.

 

[coloradospringsprius]

Many of us live "the good old American way" in semi-arid urban areas where the combination of slow grass growth and small lots make power mowers an idiotic waste of money. In my densely populated downtown neighborhood, I haven't heard a power mower in six or seven years. Before that there was one guy a block or so away who revved up his obnoxiously loud gasoline mower at 8 a.m. every Saturday all summer long. (Made me wish I'd bought that mortar when I had a chance ...)

Hey, what was this thread about, again?

 

[Cocoatreat]

its surprising how many south floridians have their lawns mowed by lawn services......in fact- i dont know anyone who mows their lawn!! all i have to say is most of us were not prepared for wilma..... 2 of my friends did manage to get gas from someone who had it stored......however the gas must not have been "fresh" as after having problems with their generator.....they had to clean out the filter.....i have since been told that when gas is stored over some period of time....then stabil must be used.
oh yeah.......it was something ! land lines were out....... & many of the cell towers were knocked out........ i have sprint & it was out the 1st day after wilma......most others (verizon & cingular) were out for over a week .....yes i lent my fone to others to call their families......
i'm sure that many of us will be better prepared next time........i plan to store at least 40 gallons away for my generator......i definitely luved cooking my food on the grill......we are almost back up to par.......still some without power......but we survived.......
i'm just happy that my car was full & i didnt have to deal with those gas lines......that nifty prius kept ticking & ticking... 8)